Animal rescuers truly are heroes. Not only do they dedicate their entire lives to saving animals in need, but they also put themselves in dangerous situations, as their love knows no limits.
Whether the animal is out in a snow blizzard or stranded on a cliff, a rescuer will always figure out the best way to get it back to safety.
That’s why when a rescuer by the name of John Debacker heard about a fuzzy little animal stranded on a busy highway in New York City, he dropped everything that he was doing and made his way to the animal in need.
After driving for over half an hour, John finally arrived at the sight, but he could not locate the animal at all.
Animal On Road
After slowing down his car, John noticed a little ball of fluff lying by the road.
“When I arrived, I actually missed him at first. I went slightly past him. Then I looked in my rearview mirror and saw him sitting along the divider,” John Debacker told The Dodo.
The rescuer quickly pulled over his car and got out, walking to the left lane in order to get as close to the animal as possible.
As he approached it, John noticed that the mystery animal was a fluffy and scared cat.
“I didn’t want to have to go around twice and risk the cat running away. Cars were coming at me pretty quickly, but I was kind of waving them to move over,” he said.
Even though John wasn’t completely calm himself, he knew that the little cat was even more terrified, motivating him to gather his strength and keep on moving.
Finally, John had the cat right in front of him and his little scared face really broke his heart.
“He was pretty terrified. He wasn’t making any noise, and he wasn’t even moving,” he added.
Nerve Wracking Rescue
As he now knew exactly where the cat was, John was able to run back to his car and grab a net, knowing that this would be the easiest way to capture the scared little guy.
As he was walking towards the cat again, the cat saw an opportunity to make a run for it, and he took it.
“The cat was actually trying to run along the divider and tried to get into the sewer. He didn’t fit, fortunately, so I netted him right there,” he said.
Luckily, John was able to capture the cat before he could get into any more trouble, finally carrying him to safety.
Even though the cat didn’t trust his rescuer at all at first, soon, he realized that he was in safe hands, allowing him to relax.
“When I first got him, he was hissing and everything. But then I brought him to my apartment, and he turned out to be the sweetest cat,” said John.
New Life
John tried his best to check if this cat belonged to anyone, but as he found no trace of a family, he decided to put the cat in foster care while he and his friends tried to find a loving forever home for him.
“He went to my friend Kacia Caprariello’s, who fostered him for a few weeks. My other friend, Virginia Scudder, helped me find him a home,” he added.
In no time, this adorable fluffy cat, now named Bell, was placed into a warm and loving forever home, and he no longer had to think about being stranded in the middle of a New York highway.
Bell was also spayed and microchipped, making sure that he was never lost again.
“He’s living a wonderful life now, thankfully. Had he not been rescued, the outcome would have definitely been different,” John concluded.